Thursday, November 08, 2007 Chiongbian: Asians still have a lot of catching up to do By Edgar R. Chiongbian Teetime
THE signature Island Tee golf tournament of Mactan Island Golf Club opens today through Sunday. Lots of prizes are at stake so don’t forget to show up on your designated tee off schedule. There are still some open time slots for Thursday and Friday, just in case you want to change your day, to post the score to beat. Saturday and Sunday will surely be busy.
The Jap-Pinoy Tomadache golf tournament also tees off at Cebu Country Club this Saturday and Sunday. It’s one day to play with plenty of time slots open for Sunday. This is the eighth year of fellowship and friendly competition between the Japanese community and Pinoy members of Cebu Country Club.
We hope that this conflicting schedules will be straightened out next year because it’s too bad to have two very popular tournaments on the same week. I believe that the opportunity to play both tournaments is great but the golfers still miss out on one of the big spreads for the Sunday awards dinner.
GAP. The Asian Tour’s Singapore Open drew a lot of attention this year, attracting top European and US PGA players to Singapore. Four million dollars in prize money will certainly do it. This also showcased Sentosa Island’s newly renovated golf course worth $12 million. I saw the old course in 1978 and played on the other 18-hole golf course of Sentosa and can tell you that this was no renovation but was a completely new golf course.
We were always with the belief that our Asian golfers have problems competing in the US and European golf courses because of their length and layout. But the Singapore Open tells us a different story. Our Asian golfers are still not really up to par with the European and US golfers, even in an Asian type of golf course that’s not very lengthy.
Angel Cabrera won the Singapore Open with one stroke over Vijay Singh and five behind at third was defending champion Adam Scott. The best finish of an Asian golfer was Thai’s Prom Meesawat in sixth and the best finisher for a Filipino was Angelo Cue at 33rd place.
Juvic Pagunsan, who won a week prior in Indonesia, stumbled to 52nd after doing well on the first two days. World No. 2, Phil Mickelson started the final day at even par but scored a 79 and went home shy.
INITIALS. I wasn’t going to mention this but I will because Rolly Jarantilla said, “I have no more favorite column since you don’t use initials to name golfers anymore.” So here’s for you RJ! A flight of BB, BE, CL, SA and JU were diligently playing along in a tournament holding back five flights with four holes open in front of them. JJ enjoyed the pace behind them. RR, CS and TJ were not happy.
But that’s not the story. The story is what happens when this happens! Yes nothing happens, just a lot of words and a handwritten entry in the “complaints book”. BL had a lot to say and OI had a one liner on the book. BB took it personally, while BE could care less because he also has an issue to complain about.
The defense was that the flight behind did not want to pass and so that made it a very good football-blocking move. Isn’t that why we have a marshal to settle disputes in the fairways, if nothing else? After two weeks it’s again back to usual. More on this next week.
GOLF TIP. On iron shots, place the ball a little forward in your stance and set your hands ahead of it. If the ball is too close to your right heel, your hands will be too far ahead and produce a very steep backswing causing a fat shot and a deep divot.
Make a slightly upright backswing and come down into the ball sharply without slamming into the ground behind the ball. The club should strike the ball first, and then shave a thin slice of grass.
In the transition of the backswing to the downswing, you should feel your left hip turning to your left side and your weight shifting to the heel of the left foot. The arms will swing the club down along the target line and into impact. If you start the downswing by pushing your legs toward the target, the club will most likely hit the ground behind the ball.
